Strawberry propogation

I grow two varieties of strawberry, Marshmello and Aromel. The Marshmello are a traditional summer variety and the aromel are everbearing and will produce fruit right through to the first frosts.

With plants being expensive and losing vigour after their third year, propogating plants from runners is a sensible thing to do. The runners are just plunged into a pot and when rooted are cut from the mother-plant and overwintered in my cold frame. I only take two runners per plant unless I need lots of plants when I will take three. As you can see from the top picture, the runners are very prolific and from the bottom picture, root very easily, this plantlet was rooting in the bark surrounding the raised beds.

Most of these plants (80 plus) are destined for a new strawberry bed although a few will wend their way down to the forest folk for their new allotment I am sure.